Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Work Safety for Contractors in Norwegian Fish Farming

Salmon fish farming has become a major industry in Norway, increasingly dependent on contracted maritime transport and different special services. The aim of the paper was to explore work safety for contractors in Norwegian fish farming. Previous research from other industries illustrates contractors are more susceptible to time and work pressure, have more hazardous jobs, and are more accident-prone, compared to fixed employees. This study investigated whether there are special safety challenges for contractors in Norwegian salmon farming.

The study was based on a digitally distributed questionnaire survey, involving 979 employed by a fish farming company and 304 contractors. Descriptive analyses were performed on how contractors experienced interaction with the fish farming companies. Bivariate analyses (chi-square tests and t-test) were applied to explore differences related to injury and near-accident exposure and efficiency demands.

Related to work absence due to work-related injuries during the last 12 months, there was no significant difference between contractors (13,5%) and fixed employees (10,2%). A greater proportion of contractors (69,8%) than fixed employees (62,5%) reported that they had experienced near-accidents during the last 2 years. Of the contractors, 55% considered their work to be undervalued by the fish farming companies, 56% that the companies' efficiency demands led to breaking of procedures, and 66% that lack of cooperation was a threat to safety. A majority trust the companies to prioritize their safety (66%) and agree they can stop an operation if safety is threatened (87%). Compared to fixed employees, contractors reported higher efficiency demands and work pressure that could go at the expense of safety, even if the differences were small.

Both contractors and fixed employees report safety challenges, and contractors could be at even more risk. Contractors perform more hazardous work, report flaws in the interaction with fish farming companies, and report higher efficiency demands. The differences are still small/modest, and safety improvement measures should involve all employees. Fish farming companies should be aware of how they influence the framework conditions for contractors.